Tag Archives: ask

Well, here we are at day 20, the halfway point. At the beginning of the fast, it may have seemed impossible to fast The 40, but here we are halfway to completing our commitment. If you have been here from day 1, congratulations. If you jumped in some time along the way, good job. If you fell and messed up, no problem. Let’s get up and continue on together in God’s great grace and mercy. We have the eternal reward of seeing Jesus in a special way today. Let’s run this race to receive the prize!

Today, is a special day that we remember and mark as a memorial. We see it as an encouragement to continue, but it is an important spiritual marker as well. God looks on and remembers all the special times we give to seek Him in a special way. If God is truly “a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”, then special times of seeking Him will receive a special reward. I am sure we would all like to see some scripture backing up this encouragement. For this, let us look at Acts 10.

This chapter is pivotal for Acts and especially for us as Gentiles. Until this point, we have seen the apostles going out and ministering to God’s children in Israel only. At this moment, God changes the mind of the apostles to include all people everywhere in the preaching of the good news. God was opening the door for them to go out and preach the gospel to the uttermost part of the earth. To do this, God needed someone that was seeking Him. Someone who was doing something special in The Kingdom. He needed Cornelius.

Acts 10:1-2 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Cornelius was a well-respected Roman leader who was known for fearing God, giving and praying always. Here was a Gentile seeking God. He had built a reputation as one who would seek God in a special way, so apparently, he had been doing this for years. We find out later in the chapter, that not only was he seeking God, giving generously, and praying continually, he was also fasting.

Acts 10:30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Cornelius, a non-Jewish person, had built a lifestyle of seeking God in a special way. Here was a man that God could use to bring about the most radical change in The Kingdom since Holy Spirit fell in Acts 2.

Acts 10:3-4 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

What does this verse say? Cornelius’ fasting, prayer, and giving went up as a memorial before The Lord. The eyes of The Lord were looking for someone who was seeking Him to change the very course of history for the rest of eternity. Unknowingly, Cornelius had built a huge neon sign in the spiritual realm that said, “Here I am, use me!” God did not have to look far or hard to see the great memorial that had been built up for years by this man that had no real guarantee of receiving anything for any of these things he did. His desire and intention was to seek God and bless His people. God sees the memorial and says, “Here is a man I can use.”

Cornelius obeys the instructions above and beyond what the angel speaks, it seems even better than Peter. A reluctant Peter comes and cannot even finish a proper sermon before the hunger and expectation in the people that Cornelius had gathered together was rewarded with the outpouring of The Spirit.

How long did Cornelius cry out, “Here I am use me”?

How many years of continuous prayer, fasting, and giving were being built up before the time was right for God to move in a mighty way?

How much time did he spend in the secret place not seeming to receive anything?

Was Cornelius fasting and praying somewhere while the Holy Spirit was poured out on the apostles in the upper room?

How big was the memorial that was built up before God?

On that day, when Holy Spirit fell on him and all the people he had gathered together in obedience to the word, it was all worth it. He would not have traded one shekel, one meal, one hour that went into the building of this memorial in The Kingdom. At this point, his spirit was crying out more than ever, “Here I am use me!”

This is my encouragement for you. No matter how you may have struggled during the first 20 days, Jesus is worth it. The memorial being built in your life is greater than you could imagine. How many have been willing to go The 40 that God might look on the earth and see these memorials all over the earth saying, “Here I am use me!”? This is who I want to be. I want to be used for The Kingdom. I want to be a laborer in the harvest. I want to be the most useful instrument in The Kingdom. If there is no one else willing to do the dirty work, may my sign continue to say, “Here I am, use me!!!” I know this is your heart as well.

What can God do with a community of people who say “Here I am use me” with their lips and their lifestyle?

Jesus, give me the strength of spirit and resolve to continue throughout the rest of The 40 and beyond in a memorial building lifestyle. I desire to be the one whose lips and lifestyle loudly proclaim, “Here I am use me!”

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to strengthen you to continue in your daily commitment

Continue to pray “Here I am use me” with your lips

Become increasingly obedient in your day to day life in all Holy Spirit reveals

Be blessed to receive revelation of the memorial you have created by recognizing the answered prayers and receiving the promises of God in an increasing measure. May you be used mightily for The Kingdom as your heart and character line up with The King’s!

Here we go again! Another awesome day in The Lord. There may not be anything special to day 19 for you, but God has a special reward for those who diligently seek Him. He has your reward! He is the reward! He has more on day 19 to give than yesterday, and I pray a special outpouring of His glory and grace to continue in strength, life, and provision today!

Hallelujah!

God is good and continually blesses our mouths with good thing. Whether we are eating or not, He nourishes our soul and spirit with true manna from heaven. Every single one of us is seeking Him in prayer and fasting for a reason and a purpose. I have encouraged you to make a list of things to be praying and declaring over the length of the fast. Do not neglect to pray for these things. On my list are the impossible things, supernatural healing, wisdom from heaven, open doors, souls, nations, freedom and breakthrough. Do not allow discouragement to dishearten you from pressing in and continuing to lift these things up in prayer to the Lord.

We do not see all that is taking place in the spiritual realm, but we know this:

James 5:16-18tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer! 17 Elijah was a man with human frailties, just like all of us, but he prayed and received supernatural answers. He actually shut the heavens over the land so there would be no rain for three and a half years! 18 Then he prayed again and the skies opened up over the land so that the rain came again and produced the harvest.Passionate, diligent, earnest prayers from a believer walking in righteousness have the power to change things that happen in the spiritual realm. We discuss this more in “Shifting the Heavens“. What is does not mention in this passage is that Elijah had to go before the Lord and pray seven times before He began to see the fruit of his prayer for rain to return to the land (1 Kings 18:42-46). Elijah’s powerful prayers were not immediately answered. He had to press through to breakthrough. He had to get past his doubts, fear, worries, and seeming lack of power to experience the blessing that God had promised would come. He had to look to the promise and press in until he saw fulfillment of that promise.

Later, we see an interesting story taking place in Judges 20 that demonstrates the point even more fully. During a time when Israel was without a leader, every man did what was right in his own eyes. Here, the city of Gibeah, of the tribe of Benjamin, had committed an atrocity. Their fleshly desire to abuse and injure a Levite led them to instead rape and murder his female slave. Instead of repenting, the entire tribe of Benjamin “backs their boys” and goes out to war against the rest of Israel who is coming against them as retribution for turning from The Lord and committing this atrocity.

Israel asked The Lord if they should war against Benjamin and who should go first. God speaks for them to go and put Judah first. Following God’s direction, 22,000 men of Israel are slain during Israel’s defeat that day. Israel goes to God again and asks if they should return to the battle. God says go, and at the instruction of God, 18,000 more people are slaughtered and Israel defeated. Israel, God’s people fighting for justice and righteousness, are sorely defeated because they listened and obeyed God’s words explicitly.

Why was this happening? Why were they defeated? What was taking place?

Twice, Israel went through devastating tragedies and they were doing right. They were obeying the law. Whatever else was happening, there wastremendous discouragement was taking place over their defeat. This is their response:

Judges 20:26-28 Then all the children of Israel, that is, all the people, went up and came to the house of God and wept. They sat there before the Lord and fasted that day until evening…So the children of Israel inquired of the Lord… saying, “Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of my brother Benjamin, or shall I cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand.”
Again, the people of Israel return to the Lord. This time, it says that all the people came to The Lord with repentance, fasting and prayer. We do not know if all the people were unified before, but now, they know they need a breakthrough and only God can help them. Their military prowess has been overwhelmingly defeated and only God can give them the breakthrough. In unified hearts, prayers, and fasting, they follow the instructions of the The Lord and 30 of their people die in the battle the next day, but 25,100 of the tribe of Benjamin are defeated. Whether the change was in their hearts, mind, or actions, they finally come into line with The Lord and gain their victory and breakthrough.

This is my encouragement for today, it is in repentance, fasting, and prayer that our hearts fully come into line with God, His plans, and His purposes. Whether the change takes place in us or in the spiritual realm, we cannot always understand or know. What I do know is that we must press through to breakthrough. A butterfly must struggle to be released from its chrysalis or it will never have the strength to fly in the power it has been given. It will languish and die if released by some other unseen force beyond its own struggle. Through the struggles, it is empowered to breakthrough and fly. May this word be manifest in us today. Through your struggling and warring with God in the secret place, may you press through and gain the strength and sustenance to breakthrough and walk in the next levels with Him.Jesus, help me to never give up on following You and what You have called me to do, say, pray for, or walk in. I trust You to complete Your promises even as You strengthen me to press through every hindrance into the destiny You have designed for me.Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to bring to remembrance the promises spoken to you that you may not be pressing in to see take place at this moment.

Ask for a renewal of strength to press in for the breakthrough in these areas

Ask for His patient perseverance to press through the fear, worry, unbelief, and other obstacles

Continue to press through for the breakthrough

I bless you to receive the power and strength of The Almighty to press through that the breakthrough may take place in you and the lives of all those around you.

As we continue to press in toward the halfway point, we must choose to remember that Jesus is worth all that we have to give and so much more. Whatever you have chosen to fast, it is a pleasing offering to Him. We do it because we love Him and want to give Him even more worship in our very bodies. May you be reminded of Jesus’ worth. He is worth giving up our very lives that He may be exalted and glorified above every idol in the land.

Today, I want to challenge you and “spur you on toward love and even greater works.” Whatever level of devotion to The Lord you find yourself at this moment, Jesus deserves so much more. Too many times, we may look at the people around us and gauge our level spiritually. We are doing pretty well compared to Joe Shmoe over there. We have been praying, fasting and seeking The Lord in a special way for almost 3 weeks now. We must be doing pretty well.

Personally, this is one of the areas that I have to constantly war against, spiritual pride and judgment. In order that we do not think too highly of ourselves, remember Jesus’ story of the tax collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee came boasting at all of his accomplishments and what he was doing for God, while the tax collector cried out for God’s mercy. Jesus says this about the tax collector:

Luke 18:13I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Let us never forget our place in The Kingdom. All of us must come to the feet of The cross; then we are “raised up together to be seated in heavenly places with Him.” He is worthy of more than I could ever give to Him. Our bodies, efforts, hearts and lives are poor in comparison to what He is worth, however, I gladly give all that I have.

We must never compare ourselves to other people and gain some sort of feeling of spiritual superiority. We are humble creatures in need of Jesus. We should always have more that we desire to give. For God’s pleasure, I was designed to worship. May He forever receive even more worship from our lives.

In Luke 2, we find the story of a lady names Anna:

Luke 2:36-38 A prophetess named Anna was also in the temple court that day. She was from the Jewish tribe of Asher and the daughter of Phanuel. Anna was an aged widow who had been married only seven years before her husband passed away. After he died she chose to worship God in the temple continually. For the past eighty-four years she had been serving God with night-and-day prayer and fasting.

After being married for only 7 years, her husband died. She did not live in regret, grief, or anger at God. She gave deep devotion to The Lord and served night and day in the temple. She was seeking The Lord out of a pure humble heart for more than 84 years.

What was her reward for all this?She got to see Jesus!!!

Lord, let that be my reward. You are worth it to me!!!

You may be doing more than some, but there is always a deeper level of devotion to go to. You can never make God do anything, but you must desire to see the deep secret places of God. Imagine the depths of the Lord that few have been able to reach because they cannot go the distance or give up the junk that is in the way. May this be the cry of your heart, “I will give up the junk in deep devotion to Jesus so that I may gain access to the deepest places with Him!”

Jesus, I want to see Your face. I desire to hear Your voice. I long for new revelations of Your love. You are the source from which all things flow. If I have to give up everything to see You, You are worth it! May this ever be the longing of my heart.

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to reveal and remove any spiritual pride

Ask for revelation of Jesus’ worth

Commit to a deeper level of devotion

Obey whatever Holy Spirit speaks

Be blessed with new revelations of Jesus’ worth and the desire and ability to advance to deeper levels of devotion with Him. May you access the deepest place with Him that few ever find!

Patience, persistence, and perseverance are words we like to avoid. We have moved past the need for longsuffering to patience because that is a nicer way to say it. However, longsuffering is a much more descriptive term to what is taking place. Whatever you happen to call it, it takes work to continue in the faith of believing for your breakthrough into the next level. I encourage you to look to Jesus from Whom comes your help. May you be long-prospering even as you move past longsuffering.

Every single one of us are walking through this life. No one is exempt from the troubles and hardships the world has to bring. I would love to tell you that as you seek the Lord, you become perfect and can live somewhere in a bubble of perfect communion with God that will take you out of the world and make everything okay. This is not the case. In fact Jesus said:

John 17:15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, butthat You should keep them from the evil one.”

At one time, the followers of Christ thought to create a separate culture like a monastery or convent that was set apart from the world, but Jesus never meant for this to happen. You are meant to be His shining light in the middle of a dark world that many may see His light shining through you and be drawn to Him by your words and actions. The way you respond in the same negative situations that others are going through should be a testimony to the greatness and glory of God in you.

Sadly, we often do not handle the circumstances of life much different than the people in the world. Because of our weak humanity, we fall into complaining, pain, despair, and even the depression and darkness that plagues the world. This happens because our flesh and soul have not yet come into line with The Holy Spirit yet. It is a process to ‘work out our salvation” that we may truly become one with Him.

The heroes of the faith did not have it any easier than we do, and we even have recorded many of David’s passionate prayers and cries for help as he was going through terrifying life ordeals. From him, we discover a key to bringing our flesh and soul into line with God’s plans and purposes even in the middle of the daily struggles.

Psalm 69:10When they see me seeking for more of you with weeping and fasting,they all just scoff and scorn at my passion.

Vs. 13But I keep calling out to you, Yahweh! I know you will bend down to listen to me,for now is the season of favor. Because of your faithful love for me, your answer to my prayer will be my sure salvation.

David reveals a secret into aligning our flesh and soul with Holy Spirit that many would pass over. He is seeking more of God with passionate prayer and fasting. Even when others would make fun of him for it, he is persistent. He continues on. David has so much confidence that God will come through to help in the situation, he does not care what others may say about his “pitiful cries for help”. Prayer and fasting cause our soul to come into line with Holy Spirit in a way that nothing else can. Fasting reveals our flesh and the prayer helps us give those things that arise over to God in the correct way. These two together help us to truly become longsuffering. A transformation begins to happen within us that creates the ability to weather the storms of this life and even be a witness in the most tragic circumstances. This process continues as we continually seek Jesus and are changed by Him.

Jesus, I need you today. My flesh and soul are constantly trying to pull me into world ways and earthly thinking, but I desire to be like you. As I pray and fast, strip off the ways of the world and help me come into perfect alignment with You and Holy Spirit. Even in the trials and tragedies of life, help me to shine brightly who You are because I run to you quickly for help in my time of need. Give me the ability to be a true longsuffering light in the darkness!

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to help you see where He is working

Ask for strength and assurance that He is with you

Live your life with the perseverance He brings

Shine the glory of God in the dark situations

Be blessed today to see the glory of The Lord in the land of the living. Even in the intense darkness, may you know He is with you and shine brightly His glory as you are propelled into the next level with Him.

As week 3 begins, remember to stay focused on Jesus and His Kingdom. The longer the fast continues, the more the enemy will try to take your focus from Him and turn it toward yourself. As long as you are focused on yourself, the enemy has an opportunity to make you stumble. Continuously look to Jesus, and receive all the strength, hope, and life that He has for you!

If you have not come to know this already, we are all very weak and fleshly creatures. A little matter of giving up some food and sleep for just over a month should not be that big of a deal. However, we are truly creatures of comfort from our very birth. We want what we want, and it becomes a big problem when we cannot have it. Suddenly, our small things become huge, and minor irritations become major problems.

For years, we have strengthened our flesh by giving it whatever it wants. It is like a spoiled little child used to getting whatever it asks for. When one simple comfort is removed, it becomes the worst issue imaginable. Even people around you that do not know you are fasting may notice a change. You may become quicker to lose your temper or react negatively to minor inconveniences especially at the beginning of a fast. By the beginning of the fast, I mean the first 39 days of The 40, if you are me. These the times we discover our true need for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We need the strength of Jesus not the strength of self. He did the hard part so we would not have to. No matter how strong you may think that you are, Jesus proved Himself to be stronger. Jesus easily defeated hell, death, and the grave. We should be so close to Jesus at this time, because we are walking in His strength and not our own. It is okay for me to be weak because, now, He can show Himself strong in me. I rest in the fact that if Jesus is my strength when I am weak, He can use me no matter how I feel.

Several years ago, God allowed me to travel to Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India. Here, God privileged me to minister in different ways to the Tamil people of the region. My friend Sage and I stayed in a building above a church and orphanage. While here, we were asked to do a program for the boys that lived in the building that were between the ages of 4 and 12. As we prayed on what we were to do, my friend heard Holy Spirit say that we were supposed to teach on and pray to break off generational curses. I was very unsure about that. I have helped my mother minister to children many times and that was not something we had ever done before. Frankly, most adults would not even be comfortable receiving such a teaching.

One of my gifts is teaching and speaking the word so I agreed to teach on this and let my friend lead the ministry, prayer, and application of the word, more his specialty. What proceeded was what seemed to be one of the most difficult, dry, devoid of Holy Spirit teachings I have ever given in my life. It felt like a very forced, difficult struggle that was going nowhere. As I taught, I had the thought that if I was sitting there, I would have probably fallen asleep. After I had finished the teaching, Sage began to pray and minister breaking off generational curses. Suddenly, something happened that is caught on video.

By this time, probably an hour and a half from when Sage started praying for them, the ladies had come and were trying to awaken them and get them up to go eat dinner. This is about 45 minutes after they have been directed to go eat that they are staying and crying out to God to continue to do what He is doing. The entire time this is taking place, I am completely astounded because I do not feel The Holy Spirit moving in the slightest way.I am seeing an astounding move of Holy Spirit with my very eyes, not the least of which is young boys refusing to eat just so they can get more of what God has to offer, and i am still feeling completely nothing. To this day, all I know is that we were obedient, and God did the work. I had nothing to do with it. All glory goes to Him and Him alone.

Jesus, I thank you that Your power is made manifest through me as I yield my weak, lowly, humble frame to You. Use me for Your glory and Your purpose for of myself, I can do nothing.

Practical –

Acknowledge your weakness

Ask Holy Spirit to minister God’s strength to you in your weakness

Yield yourself to be used by Him, even in your weakness

Be obedient to whatever He calls you to do

Be blessed to know your need for God and place yourself in His hands. May you be used no matter how weak or insignificant you may feel.

As the final day of week two ends I want to congratulate you on continuing one-third of the way through the fast. God has been doing amazing things and will continue to do so. I can see where He has personally strengthened and sustained me in so many ways already, and I am looking forward to the transformation that will continue to take place in us all. Keep up the good work!!!

I want to encourage you today from a word that God began to speak to me this morning.

Isaiah 43:18-19“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.

Right now, God is doing a new thing in a new way! No longer will you look at the past to define your future, but you will look to Him. He said, “I am The Way!” You do not need to look anywhere else, but straight to Him. He is the source of revival water, and it flows from Him because He is The Living Water. He is The Life that all men need.

Almighty God cannot be held back by the barriers of humanity. He will break them all down with the weight of His presence. The good news for us is that He will flow quickly and easily to the lowest spot around. He will fill to overflowing the ones who have made themselves ready.

Nothing can stop the presence of The Lord from completely consuming those who have their face set on seeking Him. Though it may take longer than you want, He will flood you with His presence. He will overwhelm you with His love. He will cover you with His glory, and lift you up to be seated in heavenly place with Him. He says, “Come to Me you humble, hungry, and thirsty, and I will give you more than you could ever handle. I will give you all of Me!”

The next chapter in Isaiah has a promise that continues this thought:

Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring

Right now, you and I are making ourselves ready. We are hungering in the physical because we desire to be truly hungry in the spiritual. All that God has for us, all that He wants to do, cannot be held back if we are hungry and thirsty for him. David Hogan says this, “Fasting is a good way to get hungry.” This statement is so simple, yet so profound. We have been getting hungry for 14 days now with more to go.

What can God do with a people who are truly hungry and thirsty for Him?

Look around you. Now is the time that we need God more than ever before. Crazy things are happening around us. Wars, tragedies, griefs, depression, and despair consume the airways and conversations everywhere that we go. The generations seem to be getting worse and worse in every area. Crime is up, morality is down, and no one seems to care.

I need to be dry and needy for God to come and consume me. I need to be the dry and cracked ground praying for an outpouring of the flooding presence of The Water of Life. I need to be completely consumed in His presence that family, friends, neighbors, and nations are transformed by the greatness of the well of life overflowing out of me.

Will you join me?

Are you hungry?

Are you thirsty?

Are you ready?

Jesus, I ask right now that You will make be completely hungry and thirsty for You and Your presence! I want to be overfilled beyond capacity. Overflow me that I may influence family, friends, neighbors, and nations with You, the River of Life. Take me as a willing vessel and use me however You see fit.

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to make you hungry and thirsty for more

Give up something extra that steals your time, and give that time to seeking Him

Be obedient to everything that He speaks to you

Be blessed with the new thing that God is doing right now. May you be forever hungry and thirsty, yet forever filled with the fullness of the overflowing presence of an all-consuming God as you are propelled into the next level with Him.

Congratulations, you have made it to double digits, and by the end of the day, you will be a quarter of the way through the fast. For those who have elected to fast on only water, the experts say that today or tomorrow all hunger and weakness should be gone and the physical health benefits should begin to be readily seen over the next few days.

Whenever I am called to fast, I return over and over to Isaiah 58. This is an amazing chapter that focuses on two things:

1. Fasting the proper way

2. The many personal benefits of fasting

Vs. 1-5 are speaking of a people who had regularly scheduled fasting times. Set times each months, they would fast, supposedly to honor God, and expect to receive the heavenly blessing from these fast. However God rebukes them because of their selfish and evil motives:

Isaiah 58:5 Do you think I’m impressed with that kind of fast? Is it just a day to starve your bodies, make others think you’re humble,and lie down in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call that a fast? Do you think I, Yahweh, will be pleased with that?

A proper fast is not for others to see, but for God to come in and purify our heart and our desires. If we continue fasting to hear from God, but are not obedient to bring our other fleshly desires into control as He reveals them to us, our heart is wrong and we forfeit all the spiritual benefits that we would have received. A change must take place and a humbling of our hearts where Holy Spirit is given the right to search out and place His finger on any area that is out of order. When He highlights this area, we must say, “Yes sir, I give this to you right now. Change me and make me new that I may never return to that old selfish, sinful way.” As our hearts are set right and our focus is to allow Holy Spirit to renovate and restore our hearts and desires, we will reap the benefits of the fast that follow.

Vs. 6 begins this way ““Is this not the fast that I have chosen…“, and what follow are the many varied benefits of fasting with a right heart:

Loose the chains of wickedness

Undo heavy burdens

Set the oppressed free

Break every yoke

Share your bread with the hungry

Shelter the poor homeless

Clothe the poor naked

Recognize and provide for those around you in need

The light and favor of God will shine upon you

Healing will come forth quickly

Righteousness will lead you

Glory of God will follow you

The Lord will answer your cries

He will continually be your Guide

He will faithfully satisfy your soul

He will constantly strengthen your bones

You will be given the right to

Rebuild long-deserted ruins

Raise up foundations of generations

Repair the cities

Restore the communities

The list of benefits in these seven verses is almost overwhelming. You could write books on each one of these topics and God’s amazing power to work through one whose heart is set to follow him in obedience, humility, prayer and fasting. I encourage you as you continue to walk The 40, return to this passage over and over for encouragement when difficulties arise. Confess and repent of anything revealed by Holy Spirit, and return to the place of right fasting with a right heart.

God has designed you for a plan and purpose. You are called to be totally free and walk in Kingdom breakthrough in every area of your life. Partnering with Holy Spirit in fasting and prayer with a true heart of humility and obedience will bring about freedom and breakthrough in a way that will quickly propel you into the next level with Him.

Jesus, I pray that you will help my heart to be continually set on you. May my desires line up completely with You and Your word, and my actions continually be obedient to what You speak. I want to lay down my life as a sacrifice that you may use me as an instrument of righteousness to build Your Kingdom however You see fit. Help me to partner with you today in humility and obedience.

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to reveal any selfish or ungodly desires in your heart

Bring these before the Lord in confession, repentance and humility

Meditate on the benefits listed in Isaiah 58

Ask yourself, “What can God do through my life given to Him completely with a heart of humility and obedience?”

Be blessed today with walking in new levels of humility and obedience to every leading of Holy Spirit. May this humility and obedience propel you in receiving all these benefits and more that you may advance into the next level with Him.